This year marks the 120th edition of the treasured Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game. The Ohio State football team is No. 2 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, just behind fellow Big Ten school Oregon.

Michigan, a year removed from winning the national title, is 6-5 and in a rebuilding year with Sherrone Moore's first season as head coach coming to an end. However, the impact and demeanor of this game are still strong, even with Michigan having a down year.

On Wednesday, Ryan Day and Will Howard talked to reporters about the game. Howard, a Kansas State transfer, is suiting up in his first-ever edition of this storied rivalry, and Day shared how Howard is feeling ahead of this one, per Chase Brown.

“He wants to win this one in the worst way,” Day said. “I have been very impressed with his leadership, with his intensity, with his competitiveness, with his positivity.”

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Day says Howard wants to win “in the worst way” against Michigan. If so, Ohio State is headed for a Big Ten title game trip, and likely locked into the College Football Playoff field. A loss will certainly change the outlook on the Buckeyes' inclusion, although they could still probably get in with a loss.

Howard has been a massive reason for Ohio State's success in 2024. He has thrown for 2,685 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for seven scores. But, as Day points out, his leadership has been impressive.

Howard has thrown for 200 or more yards in each of the past three games and has just one interception during that span, which included a two-touchdown performance in the top-5 showdown against Indiana.

However, even with the Wolverines having a down season, this rivalry game will have all of the juice and hype around it. If Howard and Ohio State can win, it would be huge momentum going into the Big Ten title game.